Christmas Bones Style
by FaithinBones
Summary: This is a series of one-shots written for the Bonesology Christmas challenge for 2019. I will be using a word from a list that will be the theme for each chapter.
1. Chapter 1

(Season 12)

This is a series of one-shots written for the Bonesology Christmas challenge for 2019. Let me know what you think of them. I will be using a word from a list of words that will be the theme for each chapter.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Because it was close to Christmas and he knew the kids wanted to buy presents for their mother, Booth had set aside Saturday morning to shop with them. Christine had found what she wanted to buy for her mother right away, but Hank didn't really understand what he was supposed to do and kept pointing at everything and smiled when Booth asked him if that was what he wanted to buy his mother for Christmas. Since he knew it would be up to him, Booth found a watch that Brennan had admired in a magazine the week before and bought that for Hank to give to his mother.

Their mission accomplished, Booth bought his children a large soft pretzel before they left the mall. Once they were outside the mall, Booth turned left and headed for his truck passing a man ringing a bell to draw attention to the Salvation Army Red Kettle he had set up for donations. As they passed the man, Hank started to call out to the man, stretching his arms out towards him. "Pop . . . Pop . . . Pop."

Startled, Booth stopped pushing the stroller and stared at the man holding the bell. A little shocked he realized that the man looked like a younger version of his deceased grandfather.

Tugging on her father's jacket, Christine pointed at the stranger and started to cry. "Is that Pops, Dad? I don't understand."

Aware that something was wrong, the bell ringer placed his bell on the kettle and walked over to where the little family was standing. "Hi, can I help you? Is there something wrong?"

The man was silver haired, appeared to be roughly 60 years of age, his brown coat was faded and worn with a carefully mended pocket on the right side and his toboggan hat was faded from years of washing and use. Booth could see the man wasn't well off, but he was kind enough to stand outside the mall on a cold day asking for donations for others. "You kind of look like my grandfather when he was younger. He died before Hank was born, but we have a couple of pictures of my grandfather in the living room and I guess Hank thinks you're him." Squatting, Booth placed his arm around his daughter. "This isn't Pops, Honey. He just kind of looks like him. You know Pops is in heaven."

Slowly nodding her head, Christine wiped her mitten covered hand across her eyes to wipe away the tears. "That's right. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Sweetheart." Pulling Hank from his stroller, Booth hugged the boy and kissed his cheek. "This man isn't Pops, Hank. I promise it isn't him."

Puzzled the toddler stared at the stranger with quiet intensity then turned his head to hide his face against his father's jacket. "I'm sorry we bothered you, Sir." Booth was a little rattled, but recovered quickly.

"Oh no, no bother at all. I love kids." A sad look on his face, the stranger sighed. "My son died when he was ten years old from leukemia. He was a brave little soul. He was the only child my wife and I ever had, but it was an honor and a privilege to have Jimmy in our lives for the ten years we had."

"I'm sorry." Booth hugged Hank tighter against his chest. The man's words had made him feel protective towards his children. "I'm Seeley . . . This is my daughter Christine and this is my son, Hank." He placed his son back into his stroller, handed Christine a handkerchief to blow her nose and pulled $20 from his wallet, walked over to the kettle and dropped it in.

Grateful for the contribution, the stranger grabbed his bell and smiled at the little family. "My name is Lawrence. I hope you have a merry Christmas."

Ooooooooooooo

Unable to forget the man with the bell, Booth drove home, carried Hank and the presents inside the house while Christine carried the soft pretzel. Once he was inside, he made sure Brennan knew they were home, told her he had an errand that he had to do and left again. Once he had found what he wanted, he drove back to the mall, parked his truck and carried two bags over to where Lawrence the bell ringer was standing. "Hey, I have a little something for you."

Curious, Lawrence placed his bell down on the kettle, took the bags and looked inside. A little confused, he looked at Booth and smiled. "Do want to donate these to the Salvation Army? I can drop them off on the way home tonight."

Hopeful he wasn't about to embarrass the man, Booth shook his head. "No, these are for you, Merry Christmas."

Astonished, Lawrence pulled out a new coat from one of the bags and stared at it. "I don't know what to say."

Clearing his throat, Booth felt his cheeks turn warm. "I was away when my grandfather died. I didn't get to say goodbye to him. I couldn't attend his funeral and believe me . . . it almost killed me. I haven't been able to give my grandfather a Christmas present for two years and . . . well, I hope you'll accept these gifts from me and be my grandfather's proxy. I know I sound nuts, but . . ." He was too embarrassed to continue."

Lawrence could see the pain in the face of the man standing in front of him and he understood. "Thank you. I will gladly stand in for your grandfather." Once he was out of his old coat, he pulled on the new coat and ran his hand down the front. "My goodness, I haven't had a new coat in ages. Me and the Mrs. are on a fixed income. I had to retire early to take care of her after she had her cancer scare. Mary is cancer free, thank God." Removing his old hat, he replaced it with the new one he found in the other bag along with some new mittens. "Thank you, Seely. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and me and Mary are going to pray for you and your grandfather in church tomorrow."

Grateful the man had accepted the gifts Booth kept his lips tightly together while he nodded his head. Lawrence reminded him of his grandfather when he had been a younger man and was still vital. He couldn't say goodbye to Pops, but somehow this encounter had made him feel a little better. "Goodbye Lawrence." Once he was back in his truck, Booth sat staring at the gently falling snow that had started as he had crossed the parking lot. "Bye Pops. I love you."

Oooooooooooooooo

Excited, Lawrence arrived home that evening to show his wife his knew coat and hat. "He even gave me mittens."

Astonished, Mary helped her husband remove his coat and admired the rich brown color and the warm dark brown lining. "It's beautiful, Larry. It really is." Moving her hand into one of the pockets she could see it was deep. When she checked the other pocket, she found an envelope. Removing it, Mary stared at the writing on the envelope. "To Mrs. Lawrence." Not sure what to make of it, she opened it and found $200 inside with a note. _Merry Christmas. I didn't know your size so here is a little money for you to buy a new coat or whatever you need for Christmas. Seeley_. "I . . . Lawrence, are you sure you didn't run into an angel this morning?"

After he read the note, Lawrence handed the note and the money back to his wife. "I think I must have Mary. I really think I must have."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The challenge word was mittens.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

(Season 11)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

The Jeffersonian Christmas party had looked like it was going to be a dull affair like so many in the recent past. Most of the invitees appeared at the party to be seen. They drank a little punch, ate a few canapés and slipped out of the building after an hour or two. It was agreed by many that the parties used to be livelier in the good old days, but no one had spiked the punch in years. Most of the employees were older and with maturity comes responsibility. In other words, their parties were dull because they let them be.

Hodgins fretted that no one seemed to have any fun at the Jeffersonian parties and that just seemed wrong. Somehow, everyone had given in to propriety and no one really wanted to let their hair down, so to speak. Determined to make the party more interesting, Hodgins came up with a plan and he hoped this year's Christmas party would have a certain spark, a certain joie de vivre.

In charge of the festivities this year, Hodgins inspected the food laden table and smiled. "If no one can find something to eat here then I don't know what would satisfy them." The entomologist had made sure there were several types of sandwiches including vegetarian sandwiches and one type was vegan as a nod to Dr. Brennan. There were finger foods, small delectable desserts and salty snacks. There was punch, eggnog and water for those who refused to drink sweet drinks. There was a rule at the Jeffersonian that no alcoholic beverages were allowed in the building and Hodgins found that to be a bit too prim. _Boring bastards._

Keeping in mind that past parties had been colorless affairs, Hodgins had the banquet room decorated with festive Christmas decorations and lots of mistletoe hanging from strings around the room. The band was a local band that played a mix of rock and country and they had come highly recommended by Wendell whose cousin was their manager.

When the doors were opened, the overhead lights were dimmed and white and blue stars and colorful fairy lights emitted all the light the crowd would need. Soon everyone was passing down the table, filling up plates and cups and Hodgins noticed how relaxed and happy most of the attendees were. The eggnog seemed to be popular. _It's a good thing I made sure there's a lot of the stuff for the party._

Daisy had come with a fireman she was dating. She had a thing for firemen and she acted like a moth to a flame if they were tall and muscular. Sipping eggnog, she felt free and happy and she wasn't sure why. She hadn't felt this happy since Lance had died and she liked the feeling. She had planned on skipping the party, but now she was glad she had come. As she sipped from her cup of cheer she noticed the broad smiles on the many faces in the room and knew that the night was going to be fun.

Since there was a live band and dancing, Booth danced with Brennan in the middle of the dance floor. "I know you didn't drink the eggnog, but I need more of that when we're done dancing. That stuff is really good." He was feeling happy and a little mischievous. As they danced Booth maneuvered Brennan under one of the sprigs of mistletoe, leaned her back a little and kissed her.

Surprised, Brennan kept her hand on his shoulder to help keep her balance and returned her husband's kiss. His open displays of affection were rare so to be kissed that firmly while their friends looked on made her wonder what had got into her husband. "How many cups of eggnog have you had tonight?"

"Um, maybe four." Booth continued to dance holding his wife against his body. "I know, that's a lot of calories, but it's the holiday and I'll add a few more minutes to my workout to make up for it."

"It's not the calories I'm worried about." Her gaze roaming the room, Brennan spied Hodgins sitting in his chair, near the drinks table, filling a glass with eggnog for one of the interns. Once the dance was over, both she and Booth walked over to where Hodgins was. While Booth filled up a cup with eggnog, Brennan stood next to Hodgins, placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned over to talk to him quietly. "Did you spike the eggnog?"

His cheeks a brilliant red, Hodgins licked his lips, considered lying as an option and decided lying to Brennan wasn't a wise thing to do. "Yes . . . yes I did. Are you going to tell anyone?"

With Booth giving her a lustful look while he drank his drink, Brennan laughed and straightened up. "Why would I do that? Booth and I are leaving now. We have other things to do." Taking her partner's hand, Brennan pulled Booth towards the exit. "We are getting a taxi and going home, Booth. I want to do something with you and I can't do it here."

"I can drive." Booth wasn't sure why Brennan wanted a cab, but if she wanted to go home early he was all for that, especially since she was so damn hot that evening in her new red dress. The fabric shimmered in the light and emphasized the parts of her body that reminded Booth just how beautiful she was and how lucky he was to be the man that got to take her home.

"We're either taking a cab or I'm driving. Hodgins spiked the eggnog, so I'm sure you're technically drunk." Brennan held her husband's hand as they wove through the crowd towards the exit. "I don't want you to be pulled over for a DUI when I need you Booth."

He hadn't realized that he had been drinking alcohol, but now that Brennan mentioned it, he realized he did feel like he was buzzed. "Damn . . . I hope Hodgins has someone making sure no one leaves the party drunk." As they walked down the hallway, he moved closer to Brennan's body and placed his arm around her shoulders. "Um, you drive. I don't want a cab . . . so, Hodgins spiked the eggnog . . . Cam is going to be pissed when she finds out."

"Another reason why we're leaving now." They had reached the parking garage and Brennan took the car keys from Booth as they neared his SUV. "Hodgins said our parties have been dull lately, but I am certain that will not be the case when Cam has discovered that alcohol had been introduced to the party . . . There is going to be fireworks. Lots of fireworks."

Entering the truck, Booth smiled as he waited for Brennan to sit behind the steering wheel. "Normally I wouldn't mind seeing Cam lose it with Hodgins since she can be very inventive when she cusses, but I'm more interested in the fireworks we're going to have at home. I'm glad that Jessica volunteered to babysit the kids . . . very very glad. You and me and an empty house . . . come on Bones. Let's go home."

"I am trying to get us there, Booth." Amused, Brennan smiled as she drove down the ramp and onto the street. "We haven't made love in the living room for quite a while and we have a new couch . . . I think we should take advantage of the children being out of the house this evening."

"Oh, we're going to take advantage, Bones. Yes, we are."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The challenge word for today was eggnog.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

(Season 12)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

"Bobby Price says that there's no such thing as reindeer." Christine twirled her spaghetti on her fork and sprinkled a little parmesan cheese on it. "He says they're just deer with birth defects."

Astonished, Booth tried to gather his thoughts to reply, but before he could utter a word, Brennan stepped into the conversation. "Of course, there are reindeer Honey. Why would Bobby Price say they're not real?"

"Well, he says that they're like the Easter Bunny. No one ever sees one because they're imaginary." Christine ate some of her spaghetti while Booth leaned over and placed his hands over Hank's ears.

"Christine Angela, the Easter Bunny is real and even if you don't believe in him you have no right saying that in front of Hank. By the way, if you don't believe in the Easter Bunny then he may not bring you a basket next year." Booth didn't mind if Christine didn't believe in the Easter Bunny since he knew that was inevitable, but Hank was still young enough to believe and he didn't want his sister to spoil the boy's fun when Easter came around again.

She knew she had stepped over the line and Christine realized that her father was angry. "I didn't say I don't believe in the Easter Bunny, I said that Bobby Price doesn't believe, Daddy."

Since she didn't want her husband and daughter arguing over nonsense, Brennan intervened. "Honey, reindeer are real. They're a species of deer, but not the deer you see in parks where we live. They're native to Artic, sub-Artic, tundra, boreal and mountainous regions of Europe, Siberia and North America. Bobby Price is wrong."

"Then why haven't we ever seen one before, Mommy." Christine glanced at Hank and then back at her mother. "Hank and I have seen deer, but not reindeer."

Interrupting Christine, Booth removed his hands from Hank's ears and held up his right hand. "Santa Claus is going to be at the mall this weekend and the advertisement I heard on the radio said he's going to have one of his reindeer with him. I think they said it's Blitzen. If you want to see a reindeer, I'll take you and Hank to see him."

A bright smile lit up her face as Christine nodded her head enthusiastically. "Thank you, Daddy. Maybe we can take a picture and I can show it to Bobby to prove he's wrong about reindeer."

The problem resolved Booth winked at Hank. "Do you want to see reindeer, Hank?"

"Yes, Daddy." Hank glanced at Christine then back at his father. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Booth picked up his fork and twirled some spaghetti on his it. "Good . . . Bones, do you want to see Blitzen with us?"

Glad that the little crisis was over, Brennan gave him a faint smile. She detested zoos and she wasn't sure if keeping a reindeer at the mall was fair to the animal, but she thought it might be wise to go to the mall with her family and check on the animal's condition while she was there. "Of course I would, but I must say that just because this particular reindeer is named Blitzen doesn't . . . "

Interrupting her before she said that Santa Claus wasn't real and neither were flying reindeer, Booth held up his hand. "We're all going to see Santa Claus and Blitzen and we're going to take pictures so Christine can show Bobby next Monday." He hoped Brennan didn't say anything else about Santa Claus and Blitzen and thankfully she didn't.

Ooooooooooooooo

That evening, while Booth and Brennan sat on the couch watching a special on the Discovery Channel, Christine and Hank sat at the table, coloring in color books. While their parents attention was busy elsewhere, Christine leaned closer towards her brother and used a low voice that wouldn't carry to their parents. "I told you I could get Daddy to take us to see the reindeer. Mommy doesn't like zoos or petting zoos and that's why she said no yesterday. I knew Daddy would take us if I said the right things."

Hank didn't really care why his Daddy was going to let him go see Blitzen, he was just glad he could go. "Thanks Chrissy."

"You're welcome."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The word of the day was reindeer.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you,


	4. Chapter 4

(Season 12)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Visiting at the Booth/Brennan house, Michael-Vincent was flipping through a photo album that Christine had shown him. "And these are your relatives?" A little skeptical, the boy glanced at his friend then back at the album. All of these people are relatives?"

Not sure why her friend was questioning her like that, Christine crossed her arms against her chest. "Yes. Some of them have gone to heaven, but yeah. Daddy says he and Mommy had to make a family because their family was really small, so that's why our family has Aunt Cam, Uncle Arastoo, Aunt Daisy and Little Seeley and . . ."

"Okay, stop." Michael-Vincent sighed. "I only have one uncle and he lives in a special home. He's not allowed to leave so he can't visit for holidays or anything, so he doesn't count. Mom is an only child. I don't have any aunts or uncles or cousins, just Grandpa and Mom and Dad. That's it."

She felt sorry for her friend. "You know you're part of our family don't you? You didn't let me finish my list. Your Mom is my aunt and your Dad is my uncle and you're my cousin . . ."

"Not really, it's just pretend." Depressed, Michael-Vincent sighed. "I wish I had a bigger family then we could visit them on Christmas and play games and have Christmas dinner together. It would be a lot of fun. I don't get to see my grandfather very much . . . it's just . . . I don't know . . . lonely."

"It's not pretend, Michael Vincent. It's real." Christine didn't understand why the older boy didn't see that he had a lot of relatives. "Aunt Angela is my Mom's best friend and Daddy and your father are friends and you guys had Thanksgiving dinner with us and we're going to have Christmas dinner at your house. We're family because Mommy and Daddy made you guys our family. Don't you see? I'm your cousin and so is Hank and . . . "

Shaking his head, Michael-Vincent stood up and glared at Christine. "You're such a baby. The only family you have is your Mom and Dad and your brothers and your uncle and his two kids and your grandfather. That's all, the rest is just pretend. Your family is a little bigger than mine but not much bigger . . . Oh and your Uncle Russ's kid are his step kids so they aren't your cousins either, so you're just like me, well almost."

Furious, Christine stood up, grabbed the photo album from the coffee table and hugged it against her chest. "I don't know why you're being mean. If you don't want to be my cousin then I don't care, but Aunt Angela is my aunt and Uncle Jack is my uncle. I have a lot of relatives and they love me even if you don't." Tears started to stream down her cheeks, she ignored them. "And my Uncle Russ' kids are my cousins." Frustrated and angry, Christine walked around the coffee table, marched down the hallway to her bedroom, entered it and slammed the door shut.

He had been a silent observer, standing at the kitchen island making sandwiches for his daughter and their visitor, but Booth felt he needed to speak up now. "Michael-Vincent . . . what's going on? Are you upset because everyone went to the mall to do some Christmas shopping? You were the one that said you didn't want to go and Christine didn't go so you'd have company. If you really want to go to the mall I can take you and your Mom can meet us at the entrance."

"No, I didn't want to go and I still don't." Confused, Michael-Vincent didn't understand why he had been mean to Christine. "My friend Timmy has a Dad and Mom and two sisters and three aunts and two uncles and he has six cousins and his grandparents are alive and . . . and I don't have hardly anyone. It isn't fair."

After he placed the knife down and screwed the lid back on the peanut butter jar, Booth joined the boy in the living room and sat down on the chair near the fireplace. "Sit down, Michael-Vincent. I'd like to talk to you."

Reluctantly, the boy sat down on the couch, jammed his fists in his pants pockets and stared at Booth. He wasn't in the mood for a lecture, but he knew he'd better be respectful or his father wouldn't like it.

"When I was a boy about your age, I had a mother and a father like you and a grandfather and two grandmothers, an aunt and a great uncle and a brother . . . In three years, my mother left for personal reasons and then so did my father. Both of my grandmothers died and then my aunt died of breast cancer. My great uncle died of a heart attack and all my brother and I had left was my grandfather. I didn't feel sorry for myself. My grandfather was a great father and he took care of me and Jared and made sure we finished high school. There was just three of us, but we were family. My grandfather had a few friends and they sort of adopted me and my brother. My family grew because of these kind men and women. They considered us part of their family. When I grew up, I joined the army. The men I served with became my brothers. We were close and we watched out for each other. When I got out of the service, I joined the FBI and I made new friends. Your Mom and Dad, Bones, Cam . . . they became my family. Bones and I got together and we had Christine and Hank and my family grew. My grandfather and my brother died, but I wasn't alone. I had a family. Except for Christine and Hank and Parker, none of them are related to me by blood. They're my family by choice." Booth wasn't sure he was getting through to the boy. Michael-Vincent was a year older than Christine but he was still a young boy and he could see the boy was jealous of what his friend Timmy had.

"I love my Mom and Dad and my grandfather, Uncle Booth, I do, but sometimes it just seems like I'm alone." Michael-Vincent would have loved to have a brother or sister, but he didn't know if that would ever happen. "I get lonely sometimes. I don't want to upset my parents. I mean it's not their fault . . . I just . . . I don't know." He wasn't sure what had brought this on. "Maybe I'm was jealous of Timmy."

Pursing his lips, Booth thought about what he should say to help the child. "Sometimes we have to make our own happiness. You can be jealous of Timmy and feel lonely or you can create your own family. There are all kinds of families. I told you about all of mine. You can do the same. I'd like you to add me to your family and I'm sure Bones would like that. Christine considers you her cousin and she loves you. Hank loves you too. Why not let us be your family and you'll never be alone . . . how about it?"

Feeling emotional, the boy stood up, moved over to where Booth was sitting and hugged him. "I don't like being alone Uncle Booth. Do you really think I'm your nephew?"

His arms around the boy, Booth hugged him gently. "I really do, Michael-Vincent. You'll never be alone as long as I'm here. As you get older, you'll find other friends to add to your family. It's up to you, but I think you'll be happier if you do."

Grateful that Booth had not yelled at him, but had talked to him, Michael-Vincent stepped back. "I think I will too . . . I'm going to go apologize to Christine . . . I think I hurt her feelings."

"Alright." Booth watched the boy leave the living room and walk down the hallway to Christine's bedroom. He understood what it felt like to be alone when he was the boy's age, but his grandfather had told him that there's more than one kind of family. He had believed him and Booth had found the family that he needed and wanted. He knew that Michael-Vincent could too.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The word of the day was relatives.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

(Season 12)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

Preparing to make her children a treat for Christmas, Brennan had all of the ingredients out on the counter and was setting up her mixer when Christine entered the kitchen. "What are you doing Mommy?"

Carefully measuring out her flour, she glanced at her child and smiled before checking to make sure she had ½ cup of flour in the measuring cup. "I'm making a Buche de Noel."

"What's a bush day noel?" Christine pulled herself up on the stool next the counter and watched her mother pour ¼ cup of cocoa powder and a ¼ tsp of salt into a bowl and mix it with a fork.

"Buche de Noel." Amused, Brennan grabbed two bowls, broke 6 eggs and separated the yolks from the egg whites into the bowls, placed the bowl with the yokes under the beater bars and began to slowly pour ½ cup of sugar into the eggs. "It's a Yule log, Honey. It's a French cake. It represents the log that families would burn in their fireplaces on Christmas Eve."

Fascinated, Christine watched her mother pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture and continue to mix it. Once it was thoroughly mixed, she set it aside and started to pour ¼ cup of sugar into the egg whites and start to beat them with a whisk until they formed stiff peaks. "Why are you doing that? Why not just add all of the eggs to the other ingredients?"

"It's how the cake is made, Christine." Brennan felt her arm getting tired beating the egg whites, but she wanted the peaks to be right so when she mixed it into the batter it would make a proper sponge cake and wouldn't deflate later. "It creates a light, fluffy cake. That is important because I'm going to roll it after it's baked."

"Oh." While she watched, her mother took the egg whites and folded them into the cake batter. She did it slowly and gently and Christine found it to be mesmerizing. Once her mother was done, she poured the batter into a parchment lined pan. "Why do you have paper in the pan? Won't the paper make the cake taste yucky?"

Chuckling, Brennan spread the batter evenly in the pan and placed it in the oven. "It will keep the cake from sticking to the pan. I'm going to peel it from the cake once the cake is done baking."

"Oh." Motioning towards the bowl the batter had been in, Christine leaned on the counter. "May I lick the bowl? Please Mommy."

"I'm sorry, but it isn't safe, Sweetheart." Brennan placed the bowl in the sink and started to wash the dishes she used to make the batter. "It could expose you to salmonella and make you very sick. I placed raw eggs in the batter. You mustn't eat raw eggs."

"Oh." Disappointed, Christine leaned on her arms on the island. "Why do you have to burn a log in the fireplace on Christmas Eve?"

Brennan wasn't superstitious and didn't like to perpetuate them, but she decided to answer the question the way it was explained to her by someone she had gone to college with. The woman had been from France and had been disappointed when she rented an apartment without a fireplace. "Usually the log is burned in the fireplace to bring good luck to the family for the next year."

"Oh." Twelve minutes were up and her mother removed the cake from the oven. "Are you going to decorate it now?"

After carefully dusting a clean kitchen towel with powdered sugar, Brennan inverted the cake over the towel and peeled off the parchment paper. "Not yet. There are a few things I need to do to prepare the cake." Starting at the short end, Brennan rolled the cake including the towel until it had a tight roll and left it to cool on the counter. "Now I have to make the frosting."

"Won't the towel taste funny?" Christine didn't think she'd like a cake with a towel rolled in it. She didn't think she'd be able to chew it.

Preparing the filling, Brennan paused to answer her daughter. "We won't eat the towel, Honey. I'm going to remove it before I put the filling in it." In a bowl, she beat together 1 ¼ cup of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of powered sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. She beat the mixture until she saw medium peaks. That done. She set bowl aside, walked over to the fridge, removed a plum and a bottle of water and handed them to her daughter. "Would you like a snack?"

"Thank you." She ate her plum while her mother moved the pan holding the cake over to the island.

Brennan smiled at her daughter. "I'm going to remove the towel now." Once the cake was unrolled, she brought over the bowl of filling and spread it evenly over the cake. "When I roll up this cake without the towel and you look at the end, you're going to see a pinwheel." Brennan moved her finger in a circular fashion. "Now I'm going to roll it." Carefully rolling the cake, she hoped it didn't crack. Once it was done. She placed the cake in the fridge to set. "Now we can go watch your Frozen movie and once that is done, we're going to frost the cake."

"I get to help?" Christine laughed. "I didn't know I could help."

"Well, you can." Brennan retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge and left the kitchen with her daughter. "Since Booth took Hank to get his haircut and to buy a water pump for his Mustang, we can do things together like watch your favorite movie."

Excited, Christine slipped off the stool and ran into the living room. "This is fun, Mommy. I love it when we get to watch movies together and make a cake."

Oooooooooooooooooo

The movie now over, Brennan and Christine moved into the kitchen. The girl climbed up on a stool and sat there on her knees while her mother took the cake out of the fridge and brought it over to the counter. "Now I'm going to make frosting and we can decorate it." In a bowl, Brennan beat 1 stick of softened butter until it was smooth. Next, she added 1 ½ cup of powdered sugar, 5 tbsp of cocoa powder, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 3 tbsp of heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Once that was smooth, she placed the bowl next to the cake. "Okay, I'm going to cut off the ends of the cake, which you can eat as a snack once we're done and we're going to frost the cake." Handing the child a table knife, Brennan pointed at the frosting. "Alright, now scoop up some frosting and place it on the cake. You need to move the knife so the frosting covers all of the log. Do it lightly we don't want to tear the cake." She watched as Christine slathered frosting on the cake until it was mostly covered. It was a little sloppy, but that didn't matter. The cake wasn't supposed to be perfect. "Very good. A very nice job." Taking the knife, Brennan added some frosting where the cake showed through, then took a fork and ran it lightly through the frosting from end to end. "This makes it look like the wood of a tree." Next, she sprinkled some powdered sugar over the cake. "The log has some snow on it . . . make believe snow, not real snow."

Amazed, Christine clapped her hands. "Oh Gosh, Mommy. That's so pretty and it looks like a log and snow and I really like it."

"Thank you and thank you for helping me to make it."

"Oh Mommy, this was so much fun." Christine stared at the cake and laughed. "We can't burn this in the fireplace. It's would smell stinky."

Amused, Brennan placed the leftover bits of the cake on a plate and handed it to Christine with a fork. "Not to mention a complete waste of our time."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Now you know how to make a 'yule log' which was the word of the day.

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	6. Chapter 6

(After Season 12)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

Booth had finally found the emotional eveness he needed to look through the boxes of items that belonged to his grandfather. There had been six boxes of personal items that Hank had left behind when he died and when Booth had got out prison his life had been too busy to find the time to look through the items that Brennan had boxed up and brought home. He also knew he wasn't emotionally prepared to take a walk down memory lane. He had loved his grandfather so much, and he had been in prison when the old man had died. Unable to attend the funeral it had been an emotional blow to him that he'd had to suppress at the time so no one could use it against him.

Once Booth's name was completely cleared and Durant was in prison, Booth had tried to open the boxes, but he had been unable to do so. He had stared at the boxes for over an hour before he realized that he couldn't do it. The boxes remained in the garage for the next two years, collecting dust. The time had been filled with a friend's murder, Booth's fall from the gambling wagon, separation from his wife and their reconciliation, his grave injury trying help his brother Jared recover a list of undercover FBI Agents, his brother's death, his wife's kidnapping, her rescue, Brennan's brain injury when the Lab was blown up and the man hunt for Mark Kovac who had tried to destroy Booth's life because he had killed the man's father when Mark Kovac was a young boy.

Feeling emotionally strong for the first time in ages, Booth asked Brennan to take the children to the museum one Saturday morning while he looked through the boxes. Brennan had wanted to stay and help him, but Booth wanted to be able to look through the boxes and not worry about Brennan's reaction to his reaction.

Alone, he had moved his Mustang out onto the driveway, closed the garage door and pulled the boxes from the shelves, lining them along the back wall. The first two boxes contained clothes which Booth intended to hand over to the Salvation Army. The third box contained, several pairs of shoes and boots, two hats in hat boxes, a cane that could be folded, handkerchiefs, sweaters and one coat. Booth knew that the homeless shelter downtown could use those items and he set that aside with the boxes of clothes. The next box contained two beautiful quilts that had been made by his great-grandmother, Edna Hank. He knew that his grandfather had considered them family treasures and he would make sure that Christine got one and Parker go the other one. He wished he had a third one for Hank, but the boy would have to miss out on this. Booth wanted to be fair and so the two oldest children would get them since they actually had known their great-grandfather and Hank had been born after Pop's death.

The fifth box contained board games, dominoes, playing cards and a violin in a case. Hank's wife had played the violin and when she had died, the instrument had been boxed up and never held by anyone again. Booth realized that Hank had wanted to protect his wife's violin from harm and he didn't blame him. It was a nice violin, not worth a lot, but he would set it aside and see if Christine or Hank would like to learn how to play it. His little boy was just a toddler, but he might be interested in music later when he was older.

Surprisingly, the sixth box contained Christmas decorations. Some of them were handcrafted by Edwin Booth, Jared and him. It made him smile a watery smile that his grandfather had kept his childish decorations and he vowed to find room on his Christmas tree for them. At the bottom of the box was a tin of 'old fashioned candy', the hard candy that you usually only saw in the stores a few months before Christmas. The candy was colorful and a mix of peppermint and fruit flavors. Booth hadn't seen this kind of candy for several years, but he hadn't been looking for it either. It was probably on the store shelves after Halloween, but he usually searched out chocolate and ignored any candy that didn't scream chocolate on the package.

Carefully removing the tape from around the top of the can that sealed the lid with the rest of the can, keeping the contents away from tampering hands, Booth wound the tape into a ball and placed it in the trash can near the work bench. Opening the festively decorated can, he looked inside and saw that some of the candy had melted into some of the other pieces because of the heat in the garage, but he knew he could probably break the pieces free and eat them if he wanted to.

Staring at the contents for a while, he finally pulled out a piece of the candy, broke off what looked like a pane of sugary glass with an orange printed in the center and popped it in his mouth. The candy tasted faintly of oranges and he smiled. After he placed the lid back on the can, he noticed that the can had a tag taped to the back of it. _To Seeley. Love Pops._

A tear escaped his lashes as he took the tag from the can and placed it in his wallet behind the pictures he had of his family. His grandfather must have bought the candy for him before he had died. _Pops was thinking of me while I was in prison. He must have thought I'd be out before Christmas and he was right. "_You were right, Pops. I made it home a few months before Christmas. Thank you."

Oooooooooooooooooo

The word of the day was candy.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	7. Chapter 7

(After Season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

Babysitting duty wasn't too bad at the Booth and Brennan household. Aubrey brought a sack filled with snacks and Booth left money for him to order pizza for him and the kids. He didn't get to sit with the kids very often, but when he did, he enjoyed himself. He found Christine and Hank to be very entertaining and tonight he also had Michael-Vincent and Little Seeley in the house.

"Thanks for agreeing to do this, Aubrey." Booth used to hire teenagers in the neighborhood to babysit his children when Max wasn't available, but now that his children had almost been killed by Kovac and Max was gone, he couldn't bring himself to leave them with anyone that he didn't trust to guard his children. "This Christmas shindig at the Jeffersonian is a must attend thing and when Hodgins found out you were going to watch our kids, he didn't think you'd mind watching his son."

"Hey, like I told you yesterday, the more the merrier. I've never baby sitted Little Seeley before, but he can play with Hank." Aubrey placed his bag of snacks on the counter next to a thermos. "You guys bringing coffee to the shindig?"

Pulling his coat on, Booth glanced at his watch. "That's hot chocolate. Bones made it for you and the kids. There's a bag of marshmallows in the cabinet above the fridge." Glancing at his watch again, he turned to call out to Brennan when he noticed her leave the bedroom. "Wow, Bones. You look totally hot."

Amused, Brennan pulled on her coat and shook her head. "You tell me that every time I wear a red or black dress."

"That's because you're gorgeous and that dress makes you look even hotter." Booth loved his wife and he loved to compliment her when he could.

"Thank you, but we need to go before Hodgins spikes the punch or eggnog." Brennan wanted to be there early enough to keep Hodgins from following through with his plan to spice up the party again this year. He had told her he wasn't going to spike the punch or eggnog, but she didn't trust him to keep his word. She knew he was up to something.

Once the couple was gone, Aubrey called the pizza place and ordered several pizzas including one cheese pizza for those not inclined to walk through a garden when eating. "Michael Vincent you're missing the best part of pizza if you don't want anything on it."

The boy laughed. "I just like cheese pizza. I don't need anything else on it."

Shrugging his shoulders, Aubrey looked into the living room and saw the rest of the children were watching 'Frozen'. "Gosh, how many times can you kids watch that movie? How about 'Star Wars' or 'Star Trek' or . . ." He held up a DVD case. "Hey kids, I have 'The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper."

"Oh boy." Excited, Christine slid off the couch and ran over to where Aubrey was standing. "We can watch that one after 'Frozen'. Thank you, Uncle Aubrey."

"You're welcome, Munchkin." Aubrey handed the video to Christine and pointed at the snack bag on the counter. "I have snacks for later and a few more videos in case you get tired of that movie." _As if that's going to happen._

Settled in the living room, surrounded by children watching the movie, Aubrey stared at the screen and smirked. _Easiest babysitting job ever and I get free pizza and hot chocolate out of the deal._

Oooooooooooooooooooo

While Aubrey was in the kitchen grabbing the last slice of pepperoni pizza, he was unaware that Hank and Little Seeley were wrestling in the living room near the Christmas tree. Hank had wanted to play with a firetruck on the floor near the tree and Little Seeley wanted to play with it too. A wrestling match broke out over the truck and before they realized it, they were too close to the tree, fell on it and knocked it over.

The crash got everyone's attention. Racing into the living room, Aubrey found the two little boys struggling to free themselves from the tree and ornaments. Hurrying across the room, he lifted both crying boys from the mess on the floor and checked them for injuries. Both children had a few scratches on their arms and Aubrey knew he was going to be blamed for this. "Okay, you two go sit on the couch while I try to fix this mess." The tree was down and water had spilled from the tree stand. Two presents were mashed and decorations were scattered around on the floor. "Oh boy."

Once the tree was back up, the water was cleaned up and replaced in the tree stand, Aubrey noticed two broken branches. "Crap." Moving it around so that part of the tree faced the wall, Aubrey started to pick up the decorations and placed them back on the tree. "Okay you kids, no one goes near this tree while I'm here." Standing back, he could see the tree was leaning towards the left. "Maybe Booth won't notice." _Who am I kidding? Of course, he'll notice. Damn!_

"Okay, Hank . . . Little Seeley, you guys can't leave the couch unless it's to go the bathroom. Christine, do you know where the wrapping paper is? We need to rewrap those gifts that got smashed. The paper is torn on them."

Racing from the room, Christine came back with two rolls of Christmas paper and the tape dispenser. "We don't have any more of that kind. We have these though."

Since he couldn't go to the store, Aubrey sighed. "It will have to do." Tearing the torn paper from the boxes, he noticed one box came from Victoria secret and one came from The Philadelphia Flyers Shop. "Interesting. I'm pretty sure I know what the adults are getting for Christmas."

"What?" Curious, Christine handed Aubrey the tape as he rewrapped the presents.

"Oh, um . . . pajamas and probably a Flyers shirt." Aubrey finished the wrapping, placed the presents under the tree and placed the damaged paper in his snack bag. He planned to throw it away when he got home. "Okay, Christine, you can put the paper back where you found it."

The chaos over, Aubrey stared at the wide eyed boys who had started it and shook his head. "You're not in trouble. Those scratches are almost nothing." _Although I bet Dr. B and Daisy won't think so."_ Leaving the kids in the living room, he searched the main bathroom and found some cotton balls and some peroxide and a box of bandages. Moving back into the living room, he dabbed the scratches with the peroxide and smiled as each boy asked for a Band-Aid for the scratch on their arms. "They're barely scratches, but okay." _Maybe their parents won't notice. As if. Damn it!_

Everyone settled on the couch watching the Disney Channel, Aubrey closed his eyes and kneaded his forehead with his fingers. _It's a good thing I love kids. I guess this is good practice. Someday I'm going to have some of my own and I need to be prepared. _

Oooooooooooooooooo

The party over, Booth and Brennan arrived home to find the children in their bedrooms sleeping. Michael-Vincent was sleeping on the couch and Little Seeley was sleeping with Hank in his bedroom. Aubrey had vacuumed the carpet in the living room, so unless you looked closely and you ignored the wet stain in the carpet, you'd never notice anything had happened or at least Aubrey hoped so.

While Brennan checked on the children, Booth walked into the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of water. "I hope everything was okay." Booth turned the cap on the water bottle while his gaze swept the kitchen and what parts of the living room that he could see.

"Well, Hank and Little Seeley were playing and they fell down near the tree. They got a couple of scratches on their arms, but no harm done . . . really." Aubrey refused to look at the Christmas tree and decided to tell part of the truth about what had happened to explain the scratches and he'd see what happened after that.

"Um, okay, well, kids will be kids." Booth had a large box of Band-aids in the house because Hank considered every little scratch an excuse to use the Band-aids.

Relieved and surprised that Booth wasn't asking him a million questions about the fall, Aubrey grabbed his coat and snack bag. "I'll see you Monday."

Once the agent was gone, Booth walked into the living room and looked at the leaning tree and the more chaotic arrangement of decorations on the tree. While he started to arrange them back to where they should be, Brennan entered the room and walked over to where Booth was standing. "Christine says that Hank and Little Seeley knocked the Christmas tree over."

"Yeah, I figured as much." Finished with the decorations, Booth pointed at the gifts under the tree. "Aubrey rewrapped the presents so they must have got damaged when the tree fell. It shouldn't matter since they have clothes in them."

Chuckling, Brennan shook her head. "Aubrey probably didn't think we would notice that the tree is lopsided."

His arm around Brennan's shoulders. Booth stared at the tree for a few moments. "It's been a few years since we've had a Charlie Brown Tree. It's kind of nice." Booth's first Christmas Tree he had bought for Brennan when they became a couple had been a Charlie Brown Tree because he'd waited until the last minute to buy a tree and the only ones left at the tree lot were the ones no one else wanted.

"I think it adds character, Booth." Brennan placed her arm around her husband's waist. "Plus, you'll have something to tease Aubrey about."

"Yeah, that will be pretty cool. The guy has a lot to learn about parenting. A lot to learn."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The word of the day was hot chocolate.

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	8. Chapter 8

(After Season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

As she flipped through Max's scrap book, Brennan found that Max had collected the oddest things to keep as a remembrance. She had found a hair barrette that she assumed had been hers. It was pale yellow with a daisy on it and was faded with age. There were some match books with the matches removed, she assumed because he didn't want to risk his book catching on fire and there were some business cards from around the country.

There were two little cellophane packets holding strands of hair. Each packet had a tiny sticker attached to them with initials printed on them. One for KK and the other for JK. She assumed it was Russ' and her hair. With her index finger pressing against the initials JK, Brennan wondered what it would have been like going through life with the name of Joy instead of Temperance. Both names weren't common names, but since she was used to being called Temperance, she didn't think she really cared that much. It wasn't her name that made her special. It was her hard work and her vast experience in forensic anthropology that made her the best. She also liked the way Booth said her name sometimes. He mostly called her Bones, but sometimes, when he was serious and wanted her to understand that he was there for her no matter what was going wrong in her life, he called her Temperance. When he said her given name softly, holding her in his arms, he said it with love and respect.

Her gaze lifting from the book, she looked at Booth who was lying on the couch taking a nap. The children were visiting Michael-Vincent for the day and the house was very quiet. It was an unusual occurrence for a Saturday afternoon when there were two very active children in your life, but for now, she enjoyed the quietness of the house, the peace that had settled over everything.

The Christmas tree was standing in the corner near the picture window. It was leaning slightly towards the left, but Brennan found it charming. Aubrey had admitted that the tree fell when Hank and Little Seeley had fallen on it the previous weekend, but he did point out that he had fixed it, for the most part and he had been right. The picture window was decorated with paper snowflakes crafted by her children and there was a small red ladder leaning against the window with a small Santa Claus standing on the ladder. When it was plugged in, the Santa climbed up and down the ladder trailing a string of Christmas lights. Brennan didn't know where Booth had found that particular Christmas decoration, but Hank loved it and he loved to sit on the floor and watch the Santa move up and down the ladder.

Her attention drawn back to the scrapbook, Brennan flipped a page and found two thin red, white and green ribbons stapled in the book. There were words printed in a neat hand written script below the ribbon: Joy's and Ruth's Christmas hair ribbons. A beautiful day.

Certain she didn't remember the festive hair ribbon Brennan ran her fingers over each ribbon and wondered why her father had kept them. They must have had a special meaning to him, but she didn't know what it was. A tear spilling down her cheek, she thought it might be from her first or second Christmas since her name was changed to Temperance after that. The ribbons were faded, but she could still see they had been vibrant when they were new. Sad that she would never know what was so beautiful about that particular day that Max had wanted to keep hair ribbons as a reminder, Brennan flipped the page and found a Christmas card. The card had a reindeer with a red nose and a smile on its lips printed on the front of the card. Obviously, it wasn't meant to be anatomically correct since reindeer didn't have red noses, but it was cute and she knew that Christine loved silly cards like this one. Opening the card, Brennan stared at the printed words: I hope you have a red-nosed holiday (whatever that meant) and below words written in blue ink: Merry Christmas Joy. I love you. Nana.

She didn't know who Nana was and she found that frustrating. She remembered so little about her childhood and if there had been someone named Nana in her life at that time, then that person would forever be a mystery. "Unless I call Russ and ask him." _He's five years older than I am. Surely, he knows who Nana is._ She paused. Did she want to know who Nana was? Whoever Nana was hadn't been in her life since she was a baby and she might not be alive. Why open herself for more grief? She was still mourning the loss of her father. Her brother-in-law had died over two years ago and Booth still mourned his loss in his own way. Too much misery and death lately. Too much sadness and pain. "I'll have to think about it."

Slowly, Brennan closed the book and held it against her breasts while she stared at Booth. He had given her a family, something she had never thought she would have and she had given him the family he had been looking for too. For many years, they had been alone with very little family to call their own. She hadn't realized how happy she would be when she finally said yes to Booth, but she had found happiness and recalling the long past just made her think of loss. Whoever Nana was would stay in the past. She had finally found peace in these last few months and she would not seek to destroy that peace.

Oooooooooooooooo

Today's word was ribbon.

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	9. Chapter 9

(Season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooo

They had just finished watching 'A Christmas Story' and Christine was full of questions. "Can icicles really kill you, like in the movie only no one was killed it in the movie it was just Ralphie's mother saying it could kill you?" Christine wanted to be clear.

"I suppose if you were unlucky to stand under a large icicle and it fell from a high roof or building it is possible that it might kill you." Brennan believed in being honest with her children.

Booth wasn't so sure that was a good idea. "Bones, you're going to make Christine afraid of icicles . . . Christine I'm pretty sure that rarely happens, probably almost never."

"A half-pound icicle, 3 inches in diameter, falling at a terminal velocity exerts a 1,000 pound force on whatever it hits. You can be killed with a falling icicle. Property can be destroyed by falling icicles." Brennan frowned at her husband. "It is better to know the truth about things like that, Booth. If you are aware of the danger you will be more attuned to your surroundings and avoid standing underneath icicles."

Since he didn't have a counter argument, Booth entered the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of beer.

Satisfied that her question had been taken seriously, Christine watched her mother pick up a sleeping Hank from the couch and followed them down the hallway to Hank's bedroom. "Can you shoot your eye out with a BB gun?"

"You can Sweetheart." Brennan lay Hank on his bed, covered him up and ushered her daughter out of the room. "The most common injury caused by BB guns is severe eye injury. 37 percent of BB gun injuries are eye injuries." As they walked down the hallway, they passed Booth who was giving Brennan a disapproving look. "31 percent were self-inflicted, 33 percent were caused by friends or relatives and 66 percent were unintentional. You have to remember that 80 percent of BB guns have muzzle velocities of over 350 feet per second. That means the pellet leaves the barrel of the gun quickly and with great force. Never let anyone aim a BB gun at you. It is not a toy."

"Okay." Christine had understood the most important part which was 'yes, you can shoot your eye out with a BB gun'. "Can you really get your tongue stuck on a pole like in the movie? That boy was crying when he came back in the class, so it must have hurt to have his tongue pulled from the pole."

Impressed with her daughter's questions, Brennan sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. Once Christine was settled beside her, Brennan answered the question. "Yes, your tongue can stick to a metal pole, but not a wooden one. The reason it will stick to a metal pole on a very cold day is as your tongue touches the flagpole the moisture on your tongue is robbed of heat. The temperature of the moisture drops. Water freezes inside the tiny pores on your tongue and the pole. This will make your tongue stick to the pole . . . The firemen shouldn't have pulled the boy's tongue from the pole though. They could have poured warm water on his tongue and it would have released from the pole unharmed." Brennan found that part of the movie to be ludicrous. Who in their right mind would force a boy to pull his tongue from a metal pole knowing he would lose some of his tongue? The incompetence of some people was very disheartening.

Slowly nodding her head, Christine decided that sticking her tongue to a metal pole was a stupid idea and she would never do that even if someone dared her to. "Thank you, Mommy." After she hugged her mother, Christine left the couch, entered the kitchen and asked her father for a bottle of water.

"Sure, Sweetheart." After he took the bottle from the fridge, he opened it and handed it to his daughter. "Did you like the movie?"

"I sure did, Daddy." Christine drank some of the water and replaced the cap. "I liked that Ralphie beat up the bully. That mean boy deserved it."

Not sure what to say, Booth stared at his daughter for a few moments. "Yeah, but Ralphie was smaller than the bully and he could have been hurt. It might have been a better idea if he had told his mother what was going on." The last thing Booth wanted was his daughter going after bullies. Her school had zero tolerance for hitting and he really liked her school. "Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Moving into the living room, Christine walked over to her little table, sat down and began to draw on a sheet of paper using a blue crayon.

Relieved the questions were over, Booth joined Brennan in the living room and sat down beside her. "I think the first time Parker saw that movie he only asked me about the pole . . . I asked Pops for a BB gun when I was ten years old and I was living with him. He told me no. He said it was a weapon and he'd buy me one when I was older. He was a police officer and he said he'd seen too many accidents with BB guns. I never asked for one again. I'm not sure why." Booth thought back to his childhood and knew that his grandfather had done the best he could to take care of him. "You have a different view of how the world works when you're a policeman."

"I imagine so. We've certainly seen a lot of death, most of it deliberate." Brennan sighed and leaned against her husband. "We can try to protect our children by giving them as much information as we can. What they do with the information will be up to them."

His arm around her shoulders, Booth sighed. "Yeah."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The word of the day was icicles.

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	10. Chapter 10

(After Season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

The snow had finally slowed down and was now a gently falling shower of white flakes. Booth leaned against the picture window and looked out at the side yard. The little patio that contained a sandbox for Hank was covered in snow and any signs of the sand were buried under a white crystal blanket. He should have covered it up before the snow started, but he had forgot and now the sand was going to get hard and crumbly when the snow melted and the sand dried. Booth knew he could fix it with a rake or shovel so it didn't seem very important at the moment.

The living room was dark except for the lights from the Christmas tree. It gave Booth a sense of peace and solitude. He rarely got a chance to enjoy a moment like this one and he appreciated it when he could have them. His wife and children were safe in their beds. He wasn't working on a case and Brennan wasn't working late at the Lab. Everyone was healthy and happy and they were together under one roof.

Ever since he had been released from prison, Booth had tried to get his old life back, but that had never happened. He life had changed in both good ways and bad ways. Pops had died while he was in prison, a loss he still felt. His friend Lance Sweets was murdered while they worked the Durant case and though Lance was doing his job, Booth still felt guilty that he had risked his young friend. He had been given a new partner and he'd had a hard time learning to trust the man. It wasn't anything that Aubrey did to make him wary of the younger agent, but at that time in his life, Booth didn't trust anyone except his family. He had battled his gambling addiction and almost lost Brennan and everything he had ever wanted. His partner and wife had had another child whom he adored. His brother had become mixed up in a gang determined to steal a list of FBI undercover agents and who wanted to sell the list to some very bad people. Booth had tried to help him stop the sale and he had, but it come with a price. Jared had died and Booth had been seriously injured. Jared's loss still didn't make sense to Booth and Padme blamed him for her husband's death. There was nothing he could do to fix that rift in the family, so he let it be. Padme would either forgive him someday or not, the choice was hers to make. In the meantime, he would live his life and so would she.

Mark Kovac had entered his life and had gone on a killing spree. Kovac blamed Booth for the death of his father and he wasn't wrong, but what Booth had done had happened during a war and General Radik had been a very bad man bent on genocide. Mark simply wanted to destroy Booth's life for personal revenge. The man had planted bombs in the Lab and when they detonated Brennan had suffered a brain injury. She had been terrified that her life had been changed, but Booth had faith that she would recover and she did. With the help of his wife and the squints at the Lab, Kovac and his sister had been stopped and Booth had killed the man at a farmhouse, ending his reign of terror.

Now his life had seemed to have shifted and he was living a more peaceful life. Murders still occurred and he was still investigating them, but his personal life had found a calmness he had never dreamed he would have. His life might not be perfect, but it was the life he had dreamed of as a young man living with an abusive father. He was married, had three wonderful children that he loved dearly and a wife that he adored and planned to spend the rest of his life with.

The snow continued to fall covering the world outside in a cold crystal blanket while Booth watched it from the safety and warmth of his living room. He smiled knowing that when he returned to his bed, he would find the woman he loved there and at this moment in his life, this was as it should be.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The word of the day was snow.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	11. Chapter 11

(Season 12)

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is the only way I can tell if you are still interested.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

"What makes a perfect Christmas tree?" Brennan was following Booth around the Christmas tree lot and she was starting to lose her patience. Every time her husband stopped and examined a tree, he found something wrong with it. The fact that he couldn't really explain what a perfect Christmas tree was made her wonder if he was looking for something idealized and not something that could be obtained in real life.

Aware that his wife was losing her patience, Booth turned and crossed his arms against his chest. He knew his body language was telling her that he was being defensive, but he couldn't help what he was feeling. "Look, Bones I promised Angela that I would find her a perfect Christmas tree for Hodgins and I'm going to keep my promise."

"But what do you consider a perfect tree?" Her frustration was growing. How was she supposed to understand if he wouldn't or couldn't explain what he was looking for?

As patiently as he could, Booth uncrossed his arms and jammed his hands in his jacket pockets and tried to explain. "Okay look, it's a lot of different things. First, I looked at the room that the tree is going to be in and I have to account for available space. That's actually important. If the tree is too big, they won't be able to use it. No one wants a tree gouging the ceiling or taking up too much floor space. Second, when I see a tree that might do, I have to check to make sure it's healthy and the needles aren't falling off. I mean you don't want to buy a fire hazard. Okay?"

She agreed with him. When they had bought their tree, the needles had been fat and vibrant green. She made sure the tree stand had plenty of water to prolong it's longevity "Yes, I understand."

"Good. Next, we have to check the height to make sure that the clearance between the tree and the ceiling will be at least six inches." Booth removed his hands from his pockets and ticked off his points on his fingers as he told Brennan what he was looking for. "I'm looking for a tree that isn't too wide and I don't want a tree that's thin on top. It'll look funny. I usually buy Scotch Pine or Douglas Fir, but I'm willing to look at White Pine. Each of them has their own special quality. I think Hodgins and Angela would like the Scotch Pine better, but that's just a gut feeling. I think Angela would want a tree that has a high survival rate and great needle retention. Less needles on the floor means less mess in the living room . . . The branches have to be strong enough for heavy ornaments. And the most important part is it can't have dead limbs or weird spaces that make it look like the tree has a hole in it."

"Well, that seems clear enough." Brennan had been with Booth when he had bought their Christmas tree, but on this trip, he seemed to be aiming for perfection. "You do know you can't buy a perfect tree. I'm sure Hodgins and Angela are willing to overlook small imperfections."

A slight smile on his face, Booth took her hands in his hands. "I know, but this is the first Christmas Hodgins is going to have to do from his wheelchair and he can't do the things he could in the past. I promised Angela that I would find a really good tree and I'm going to. I don't plan to screw up their Christmas, not if I can help it."

Leaning forward, Brennan kissed her mate. "I think Angela and Hodgins will be grateful for whatever tree you find for them. You promised to put it in their family room and we both said we'd help decorate it. I think that will make them both happy no matter if the tree is a Scotch Pine or Douglas Fir or a White Pine. It doesn't have to be perfect Booth. This is coming from you and that will make whatever you buy, the right tree. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Buy the tree you would buy for our house. That is what they want."

"Yeah, I guess I have been getting carried away." Booth turned and started walking down the aisles between the Scotch Pine and Douglas Fir Trees inspecting trees as he went. When he got towards the end of the path, he found the perfect tree. "This is it, Bones. This is the tree I would want and I think that will do."

Glad this tree buying trip was coming to an end, Brennan admired the tree. "I think this is lovely, Booth. You have a very good eye for Christmas trees."

"Thanks, Bones. It's a gift."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The word of the day was tree.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	12. Chapter 12

(Season 12)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

The kids were in bed and Booth and Brennan were dancing slowly in the living room. Most of the lights were off except for the lamp near the couch, the night light in the kitchen and the Christmas lights on the Christmas tree. The record playing on the jukebox was Nat King Cole's 'Christmas Song' and it fit the mood the couple were in.

Booth held his around arms around Brennan's body, his hands resting on the back of her hips. Brennan's arms were around Booth's chest, leaning against his body and her head nestled on his shoulder. Their bodies swayed their feet barely moving, not speaking just feeling the warmth of their bodies next to each other, the feeling of love they felt while in their embrace was perfection.

When the song ended, Booth finally spoke. "Remember when we kissed the second time, in your office under the mistletoe?"

"Yes, of course." Brennan continued to dance with Booth as the next selection played on the jukebox. "I was nervous. Much more nervous than our first kiss."

"Well, the first kiss was after we'd had a lot to drink, so I don't think nervousness could have played into that kiss if we had tried." Booth remembered that first kiss and he had dreamed of that kiss over the years until their second kiss under the mistletoe. "The second kiss . . . I was a little nervous too. I didn't really know what was going to happen, but with Caroline standing there watching, I knew we wouldn't cross any lines."

Amused, Brennan shook her head slightly. "I think we did cross a line, Booth. We were partners and we exchanged gum during that kiss. That was hardly the kiss I would expect friends and partners would make, even when they're being blackmailed."

Staring at the Christmas tree, Booth chuckled. "Leave it to Caroline to feel puckish . . . I love that woman, she's like the sister I should have had. Bribing you to kiss me . . . that was one hell of a Christmas gift."

"Did you consider it a Christmas gift?" Brennan found that strange, but she never completely understood people, even Booth whom she had known for years. "You said you didn't know about it and you acted surprised when I told you we were going to kiss."

"Oh, I was surprised, but when I saw that Caroline was involved, I knew she was trying to start something between us." Booth leaned the side of his face against Brennan's head as they continued to dance. "I think she was trying to give me a gift I couldn't get for myself and deep down she's a romantic."

Surprised, Brennan stopped dancing and pulled away so she could look at her husband. "Romantic? Caroline?"

Encouraging Brennan to continue to dance with him, Booth explained once they started to move to the music again. "Yes, she's a romantic. You may not have noticed, but she was always calling you my girlfriend and making remarks about my feelings towards you. She knew what she was saying, believe me. She wanted us to be together long before we were."

"At the time, I didn't know if she really liked me." In the past, Brennan had always assumed that Caroline didn't like her but tolerated her to get her cases solved. As the years went by, she had learned that Caroline guarded her emotions, but she did in fact like her.

"No, she liked you . . . well, it took a while, but she came around and she was on our side when I informed the FBI that we were in a personal relationship. She was the one that came up with the reason why they couldn't separate us. She was used to winning cases and she didn't want them to screw up our partnership . . . Plus she likes me and she wanted me to be happy and she knew I'm only happy when I'm with you."

The music ended and a new song started to play. "I have grown to admire her over the years. She is a brilliant prosecutor and she has a successful conviction rate . . . And I do know that she cares for you . . . Even though she blackmailed me to kiss you under the mistletoe, I did enjoy it once we started to kiss. It was a very satisfying kiss . . . now I get to kiss you when I want to and that is even more satisfying."

They stopped and kissed. The kiss was long and passionate and once they were done, they separated and smiled. The mistletoe kiss in Brennan's office had been nice, but this was so much better.

Ooooooooooooooooo

The word of the day was mistletoe.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Booth wasn't sure how this was supposed to work, but he contacted Captain Anderson at the local Salvation Army and asked to meet with him. The Captain was very busy during the Christmas season, but when an FBI agent had called him and asked to meet, he was intrigued and couldn't turn the agent down.

"I won't take up too much of your time and I don't know if you can help me, but I'd like to do something for someone and I was hoping you could help me do it." Booth sat patiently in front of the Captain's desk and waited for him to respond.

Curious, Captain Anderson leaned on his desk. "What can I help the FBI with?"

"This isn't an FBI thing, Sir." Booth wasn't sure if the Captain was going to help, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. "I met a bell ringer at the mall two weeks ago. He looks like a younger version of my grandfather and my kids were excited to see him. They were confused and they thought Lawrence was Pops. My grandfather died two years ago and my daughter took his death hard . . . anyway Lawrence was nice to my kids and to me and while I was talking to him, I found out he's retired and his wife just beat cancer . . . My wife and I would like to do a little something for them, but I don't know their last name . . . It's not much, but just something to make their Christmas festive. He said his only child died when he was a boy and I got the feeling that Lawrence and his wife Mary are all the family they have. I could be wrong."

"No, you're not wrong." Captain Anderson wasn't sure what the agent wanted to do and he was wary of giving out names of members of the Salvation Army. "I wish I could help you, but I don't feel comfortable giving you his name. It's the times you see. I have to protect my people and I don't know you . . . I'm not trying to be mean or anything. I hope you understand."

He had known this was possible and Booth accepted it. "Sure, I get it. Thank you anyway." Booth stood up. "Thanks for meeting with me, Sir." Once he was back in his SUV, Booth sat staring at the traffic passing by, smiled and nodded his head. "Okay, I know what to do."

Ooooooooooooooooo

Booth still knew how to contact Noel Liftin and if anyone could find out who Lawrence was it was Noel. The best part, it would only cost him $100. He'd probably give the hippie a gift card to Walmart or the Royal Diner as a bonus, because it was Christmas.

"You want me to find out who Lawrence the bell ringer is and maybe where he lives?" Noel was used to Booth asking him to be a detective for him. He was pretty good at finding people and worked for a detective agency sometimes for extra money doing just that.

"Yeah. He didn't do anything wrong. I just want to do something for him for Christmas." Booth knew that Noel would do it. "He rings a bell for the Salvation Army in front of the mall. At least he did on Saturday morning a few weeks ago. I'll give you $100 if you find him."

Slowly nodding his head, Noel shook Booth's hand. "Got it man. I can use the extra money. I'm trying to get a decent Christmas present for my neighbor this year. Her husband died and she's all alone and I don't want her to miss out on the holiday."

Booth knew that Noel was a good guy and he would give him that gift card to Walmart after all. "Good. Let me know when you have his name and I'll meet you at the Royal Diner."

"Got it. I should know by tonight or tomorrow."

Ooooooooooooooooo

True to his word, Noel found out that the bell ringer's name was Lawrence Clayton. Noel had given Booth the man's name and taken his wages of $100 and appreciated the bonus when Booth gave him two gift cards, one to Walmart and one to Taco Bell. "Cool. I love Taco Bell. They have the best vegetarian tacos."

With the name and address in their possession, Booth and Brennan planned how they were going to handle their surprise. They wanted to do it anonymously, so that Lawrence and Mary didn't think Booth was obsessing over them or stalking them. He was a cop and he knew that people worried about their safety when it came to stalkers.

On the night before Christmas, Booth and Brennan arranged for Aubrey to watch Christine and Hank for a few hours, drove over to where Lawrence and Mary lived and waited for the lights to go out in the house. An hour after the house was darkened, Booth and Brennan carried several bags over to the porch and placed them near the front door. Booth also carried a small decorated Christmas tree over to the porch and left it next to the bags. The star on top of the little tree had been made by Christine out of poster board and colored a bright blue with a lot of silver glitter to make it shiny.

Once they were done, Booth waited for Brennan to get back into the truck, knocked on the front door as hard as he could and ran to the truck. As quickly as possible, Booth drove down the street and stopped when he was six houses down. Booth and Brennan turned and watched the Clayton house to make sure someone came to the door. The last thing they wanted to happen was for a porch thief to take everything.

Soon, the porch light came on and the door opened. Lawrence stepped outside, saw the bags and tree and gazed up and down the street. Not seeing anyone, Lawrence stared at the bags for a moment, shrugged his shoulders, carried the bags and tree inside and closed the door.

Pleased that their mission was done, Booth and Brennan drove home. They still had to load toys under the Christmas tree for their kids and Booth had a bike to put together.

Not sure what to make of the bags and tree, Lawrence place the little tree on the kitchen table and smiled. The star on top had a lot of silver glitter on it and he could see that some of it had spilled on the tree branches. "I love it." Stepping over to the staircase, he called up to his wife. "Mary, come see. We had an angel visit this evening."

Hurrying down the stairs, Mary spied the bags and the tree and stopped at the bottom of the staircase. "Larry, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. I found all of this stuff on the porch." Lawrence opened a bag and found a large whole spiral ham. In another bag, he found two fruit pies and an angel food cake. In the next bag, he found a box of gingerbread men cookies, a box of chocolates and a pound of dark roast Community Coffee. The fourth bag had two wrapped presents. One with a tag that was for Lawrence and one for Mary. "My goodness Mary, I don't know what to say."

Stunned, Mary looked at the ham and nodded her head. "I think we're having ham tomorrow instead of that chicken I was going to bake . . . Goodness, Larry, whoever left this for us . . . I think I'm going to cry." With tears running down her cheeks, Mary walked over to where Lawrence was standing and hugged him. "We've been treated so kindly this year, Larry. So kindly."

"We really have, Mary." He held his wife in his arms and stared at the little tree. This was the first Christmas tree they'd had in the house for the last three years. They had cut down on expenses to help pay for Mary's medical bills and Lawrence realized that he had missed having a tree for the holidays. "It looks like we're going to have a good old fashioned Christmas this year and it's wonderful."

"It really is, Larry. It really is."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The word of the day was angel.

Let me know what you think of my story. I appreciate it.


	14. Chapter 14

(Season 12)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooo

Christmas morning was the usual chaos of paper torn from packages, boxes opened, presents admired and children so overwhelmed they didn't know what to play with. Loving the moment, Booth sat on the floor with Hank and Christine and played with the Lincoln Logs Brennan had found online. Hank sat on his lap while Christine sat next to him and they strategized what they were going to build.

Happy and relaxed, Brennan watched the quiet intensity of her children as they helped their father build a small cabin. The previous year, she had almost lost her husband when he had tried to help his brother recover a list of FBI undercover informants. He had sustained a wound that should have killed him, but thankfully hadn't. Booth had found a way to stop his blood loss long enough to get help. She and her friends had worked hard to find Booth and they had found him while there was still time to save his life. Grateful that he had recovered from his ordeal, she watched him sitting on the floor laughing while the children played with him and knew that this is what she wanted. A happy and healthy family.

After a while, the children managed to get the cabin built and boasted of their feat to their mother. "It is time for everyone to get dressed. Booth, if you're going to go to church, you need to dress soon."

"I'll help Hank get dressed, Bones." So far, Christmas was everything Booth wanted it to be.

While her family dressed for church, Brennan picked up the wrapping paper and empty boxes and stuffed them into a trash bag. Next, she organized the presents into piles and would carry them into the children's room while they were at church. She had considered going to church this year, but in the end, she didn't go. She wanted to use the time to prepare for Christmas dinner. It was her intention to meet her family after church at the Royal Diner for brunch as she did every year. Her children loved to eat at the Diner and Brennan and Booth liked to take them there as a special treat.

Once she had the house to herself, Brennan carried the children's presents into their bedrooms except for Christine's new bicycle. She placed that in the garage. The living room almost clutter free, Brennan entered the kitchen and prepped fresh vegetables for the dinner. Once that was done, she placed them in the fridge, wiped down the counters and went to her bedroom to get ready to meet her family. While she was changing clothes, she noticed an envelope on the dresser addressed to her. The envelope was stamped with a lot of blue stars surrounding a red heart with a small blue star in the center of the heart. They had been drawn on the envelope with a magic marker and whoever had drawn the stars and heart had done it with a neat hand.

Curious, she carried the envelope over to her bed, sat down and opened the envelope. Inside was a sheet of paper, a letter.

_Dear Bones, _

_First off, Merry Christmas. I hope you are having a wonderful day. I really wanted to be there on Christmas Day, but since I was there on Thanksgiving, I felt that I needed to be here with Mom for Christmas. _

_I really enjoyed being there for Thanksgiving. The kids are growing so fast and it seems like I miss out so much being away from them. They are a reminder that time doesn't stand still and it keeps marching along whether I am there or not._

_The past year was hard on everyone and although I have already said this, I feel like I need to say this again. Thank you for not giving up on Dad and saving him last year when Uncle Jared was killed. I know Dad was in the hospital for a week and Mom was afraid that he had been so badly injured he might not survive. We prayed for him and I also said a special prayer for you. I know when things are grim and looking bad, I know that you are there to help my Dad through the worse of it just like he is there for you. _

_I love you, Bones. I've loved you since I was a little kid and before you and Dad got together. You were so cool and you taught me a lot of stuff that Dad or my Mom didn't know. Who else would have told me that an adult lion's bladder when full holds 1500 milliliters of urine and that termites fart the most and you can't hear them? You taught me a lot about science and math and you let me and Dad swim in your swimming pool when you lived in an apartment. You didn't have to do those things. You did them because you wanted to and I loved you for that. I still do. _

_I wished I lived there and not here in England, but I only have two more years of school and then I will be going to University. My plan is to go to college in the United States. I'm already collecting information from various Universities and applications. What I would like to do is to go to Georgetown for a degree in English with a minor in writing. If I can swing that I would like to live with you guys while I'm going there. That would save Mom and Dad some money, since they would only have to cover tuition and books. I hope that will be okay. We can talk about it when I come back to see you guys next Summer. Don't be afraid to tell me no. I know you and Dad have the kids to take care of and your jobs. I don't want to be a burden._

_Anyway, I can always get an apartment near you guys and visit and I think that will be a lot of fun. I want to see the kids and be with them before they grow up and don't need me around. I don't want to be a stranger to them. _

_Well, that's all for now. I hope you and Dad and Christine and Hank have a great holiday and a Happy New Year. On New Year's Eve, I'm going to stay up to see the new year come in. I plan to stand in my backyard and look up at the North Star. If you and Dad have the time, please go outside and look at the star at midnight. It would be cool if we can share that moment. I know there is a five hour difference between us, but staring at the star at midnight would still be a shared experience. _

_I love you, Parker_

The letter was sweet and Brennan knew that she and Booth would make sure they shared that moment with Parker. It was something he wished to share with them and Brennan wanted to grant him that experience. Even though he was her stepson, Brennan had thought of Parker as her son for a long time. She loved him and when it was time for him to attend college, she hoped he would be able to live with them. Their family would be complete.

Oooooooooooooooooo

The word of the day was star. This was the last word in the list. I hope you found these little stories to be entertaining.


	15. Chapter 15

(Season 12)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Christmas was done and the end of the year was approaching. Each year, Brennan had a meeting with her lawyer and they went over her various charities, scholarships, her will and investments. Most of the time, she made minor changes like increased funding for the two scholarships she had set up for foster kids continuing their education in forensic anthropology since education was getting more and more expensive. This year, she wanted to arrange the cancellation of medical debt for someone and she wanted it done anonymously.

"I would like to finish paying off the medical debts for Lawrence and Mary Clayton." Brennan handed two sheets of paper detailing what she wanted to her lawyer Clarence White. "Mary had breast cancer and her insurance didn't cover very much or at least not enough. She had to quit her job because the chemo made her sick so she lost her insurance at the time. Apparently, she was so sick her husband had to quit his job to take care of her. They don't have any family to fall back on. As you know, Medicaid doesn't cover enough. She has a new job now that she is cancer free, but she and her husband have had to pay their debts without help from insurance companies for a while. I hired someone to check into it and I find it amazing that they haven't filed for bankruptcy."

Taking the papers, Clarence read them and shook his head in disgust. The original debt had been for $150,000. Her insurance had been terrible with co-payments and huge deductibles. She had ended up with a bill for $82,079.35 and that wasn't easy to pay when you're unemployed. Apparently, they had lived off their savings while Mary was sick and now that Mary is cured, Lawrence found a job and is working as a teacher and Mary is working as a teacher's aide. "I can see they made arrangements with the hospital to make monthly payments, but this is still quite a debt. Can you imagine the hospital making sure they had to charge them down to 35 cents? God forbid they round the bill down." He muttered under his breath a few curse words and sighed. "Okay."

"Yes . . . My husband met Lawrence before Christmas." Brennan didn't want to get into how they knew Lawrence and why she and Booth wanted to help Lawrence and Mary. "He heard about Mary's breast cancer and told me about it. I would like to remove their financial burden and I don't want them to know who did it."

"Alright." Clarence usually didn't question why his client wanted to do things. She was a private person and didn't like to explain her actions to him. "I will contact the hospital tomorrow and make arrangements to clear their bill. Once that is done, I will have the hospital contact Mary and tell her her debt is paid. You're going to make her and her husband very happy Temperance."

She knew that Clarence was probably right, but she was doing it for Booth. Booth had grown attached to Lawrence because he reminded him of Hank Booth. She had seen Lawrence and the man really did look like a younger version of Booth's grandfather. Her husband had felt sad that he couldn't help Lawrence and Mary financially, but he had not asked her to help them. Booth never asked her to use her money for anything. He considered her money hers and not theirs. It was annoying sometimes, but they did have a mutual bank account and if he wanted to use it, he could. He rarely did. "Yes, I imagine it will." That taken care of, Brennan finished up her meeting and returned to work. She was working on an interesting case and the bones of the victim should be cleaned and ready for her when she got back to the Lab.

Oooooooooooooooo

Two days after New Year's Day, Mary was going through their mail when she found a letter from the hospital. "Got one from the Hospital, Larry. They're probably going to complain that we're not paying the bill off faster. We pay them what they agreed to, the greedy so and so." Bracing herself, she opened the letter, read it once, read it again and started to cry.

Alarmed, Larry put down the newspaper he had been reading and hurried over to the dining room table. Squatting down next to his wife, he placed his arm around her shoulders. "Mary what's wrong? Are they . . . are they making threats? What's wrong?"

Trembling, Mary handed the letter to her husband. "It's a miracle, Larry. I can't believe it, but it's paid in full. Someone paid our bill off."

Shocked, Larry took the letter, stood up and read the letter. Unable to believe what he had read, he read it again and just to make sure, read it once more. "Someone paid off our bill. It was done anonymously . . . I . . . I don't know what to say . . . someone paid off our bill." Tears flowing down his cheeks, Larry wiped the back of his hand across his face and stared at his wife with amazement. "I can't believe this. First, that Seeley fella gave us new coats and then we got presents from someone we don't know and now our bill is paid . . . off. Mary . . . I think that Seeley fella has been looking out for us. Who else could it be? For some reason, he's taking care of us."

The shock over, Mary mopped her face with a tissue and blew her nose. "I think you must be right, Larry. It makes sense. You said that he told you that you look like his grandfather and his kids were so happy to see you . . . maybe he's doing this because he can't do anything for his grandfather but he can do something for you . . . It makes sense. It's the only thing that makes sense . . . we should find him and thank him."

"No, Mary. He's being doing these things anonymously. He doesn't want us to know he's been doing this." Lawrence sighed. "He must have loved his grandfather so much, Mary. He must miss him to be doing this stuff for us . . . Bless him. We're going to have to add him to our prayers. We need to add him and his family to our prayers, Mary. We have to let God know that there is such a good man down here and he needs to watch out for him and his family."

"We will, Larry, but I'm sure God already knows that." Mary smiled. "I wish I could tell him thank you, but maybe we can save some money and pay it forward to someone else."

Pulling her into his arms, Larry hugged her. "Brilliant, Mary. You're brilliant. That is exactly what we're going to do. Most of our burdens are gone and you're healthy again and we're both working. I'm going to catch up with some repairs that I've been putting off around the house and once that's done, we're going to start a Good Samaritan savings account and when we have enough money saved up, we're going to find someone that needs help. We're going to see if we can lessen someone else's burden."

Ooooooooooooooooo

Booth found Brennan at home, making dinner while their children were playing in the living room. Once hugs and kisses were given to his children, Booth moved into the kitchen and hugged and kissed his wife. "Hey, I was supposed to cook dinner tonight, but thanks for doing it for me. I've had a long day and . . . well, thanks."

"You're welcome." Brennan patted Booth on his hip and returned to stirring her vegetable stir fry. "This way we can have a vegetarian meal tonight. You and the children have eaten too many fattening foods these past two weeks. I'm sure you all have exceeded your calorie count. It's time we started to eat sensibly again."

Amused, Booth nodded his head and smiled. "Aha . . . okay, yeah, I think we have overdone it this year. An extra vegetarian night won't kill us."

"That's the spirit, Booth." She knew Booth loved meat and she was grateful he agreed to two vegetarian meals a week. This third one was a surprise, but she knew he would go along with it because he was fair. The one cooking controlled the menu. They had agreed to that when they moved in together so long ago. "I want you to live a long time and if I can get an extra vegetarian meal in once in a while, I think that may help you in the long run."

"Thanks Bones." Booth walked over to the fridge and retrieved a beer. "Thanks for looking out for me. Thanks for looking out for all us."

"Of course and you're welcome."

Oooooooooooooooo

This was a bonus chapter. I hoped you liked it. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.


End file.
